Posts Tagged 'Persecution'

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Mathew 5: 10 – 12.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

From the time of the resurrection until today, true believers have always been verbally and physically persecuted for their faith. Of the original 12 disciples, 11 were violently murdered, and the twelfth was imprisoned for life. Throughout the centuries, the body of Christ has suffered affliction; millions have been martyred; many more have been discriminated against, despised, and socially ostracized. Jesus said, “Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you.” Because persecution is a sign of genuine obedience, many are able to take pleasure in adversity; in the midst of hardship the faithful are not without a sense of peace; for to endure pain for Christ is to experience great joy, and to suffer and die for him is to understand what it means to truly live.

Throughout the fourth century, the Roman Empire was actively persecuting professing Christians. In the year 320 A.D. a group of believing soldiers from Rome’s twelfth legion paid the ultimate price for their faith. The Emperor Licinius decreed that every Roman soldier was obligated to offer sacrifices to the pagan Gods. Forty Christian men refused to obey his command; in turn, they were immediately ordered to disrobe. After being marched on to a frozen lake they were informed that they could return to shore at any time, as long as they were willing to obey (the officers had even prepared hot baths for those who chose to relent.) As they froze, the exposed soldiers huddled together and began to sing songs and to praise God; in their hour of suffering they expressed overwhelming joy.) One by one, they perished. Sadly, a single solitary man did relent; but astonishingly another soldier who had been observing the spectacle was so moved by what he had seen that he instantly gave his life to Jesus Christ; he removed his clothes and walked out on to the ice to join his dying brothers.

Persecution is a part of genuine faith. Those who oppose God, will oppose those who follow Him. Obedience can produce much suffering. When we suffer for righteousness, we can rejoice and be glad, knowing that we serve the Living God. We must take up our cross; we must speak the truth; we must love without question, and give without stipulation. We must walk by faith and avoid compromise. In so doing, God will strengthen us in the hour of our greatest need; He will comfort us; He will give us victory; and we will inherit the riches of His Eternal Kingdom.

“Lord Heavenly Father, as we undergo trials give us strength and fill us with Your Holy Spirit; that we may rejoice in suffering and persecution. May we always praise Your Name; in good times and in bad. May we never compromise; may we never be conformed to the image of this world. May we live for righteousness and may we die for virtue. Father, we love You, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.” God bless all of you.

“If the world hates you, you will know that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I have spoken to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you” (John 15: 18 – 20.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

Jesus was persecuted relentlessly during his earthly ministry. He was slandered publicly and privately. He was shunned by many, and ridiculed, even by members of his own family. His message was so offensive that he was nearly stoned to death on a number of occasions. Eventually, despite his miraculous feats, and his immeasurable love, Jesus Christ was abandoned by his closest friends; he was bound and beaten; spit upon and crucified. Those who choose to follow him can expect to experience similar forms of persecution.

Eleven of the twelve disciples were brutally martyred for their unwavering faith (the twelfth was imprisoned until his eventual death.) Each disciple paid the ultimate price for fearlessly spreading the gospel throughout the known world. Although physical peril is a common type of persecution, it comes in many other forms. One day as I sat studying in the local coffee shop, I began talking with a Muslim friend concerning the tenants of the Christian faith. As I presented her with the gospel, a women sitting next to us became visibly upset. Not knowing that we were already friends, she yelled “Can’t you see she doesn’t want to talk to you about that?” The woman continued to verbally harass me, making every effort to subvert the conversation. In the midst of the pestering, I looked at my friend and said, “This is the type of persecution that occurs when you become a believer.” Eventually the woman became so disruptive that we had to end our discussion.

Persecution is an inevitable consequence of genuine faith. If we are not experiencing some kind of persecution, then perhaps we are keeping our beliefs hidden away; choosing safety and security above obedience to the Lord. Still there are those who boldly spread the gospel message; making every effort to lead others to God. These individuals can expect to be persecuted. Persecution in any form isn’t very pleasant; yet it is a reminder that we are earnestly following in the footsteps of our teacher, our master, and our friend.

“Lord Heavenly Father, provide us with opportunities to preach the gospel to others. May we reach out to those who might become our brothers and sisters. Strengthen us when we encounter persecution; that we might stand firm in the faith. Give us courage to boldly speak the truth; that we would continue to emulate our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You; and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.” God bless all of you.

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Mathew 5: 10 – 12.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

From the time of the resurrection until today, true believers have always been verbally and physically persecuted for their faith. Of the original 12 disciples, 11 were violently murdered, and the twelfth was imprisoned for life. Throughout the centuries, the body of Christ has suffered affliction; millions have been martyred; many more have been discriminated against, despised, and socially ostracized. Jesus said, “Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you.” Because persecution is a sign of genuine obedience, many are able to take pleasure in adversity; in the midst of hardship the faithful are not without a sense of peace; for to endure pain for Christ is to experience great joy, and to suffer and die for him is to understand what it means to truly live.

Throughout the fourth century, the Roman Empire was actively persecuting professing Christians. In the year 320 A.D. a group of believing soldiers from Rome’s twelfth legion paid the ultimate price for their faith. The Emperor Licinius decreed that every Roman soldier was obligated to offer sacrifices to the pagan Gods. Forty Christian men refused to obey his command; in turn, they were immediately ordered to disrobe. After being marched on to a frozen lake they were informed that they could return to shore at any time, as long as they were willing to obey (the officers had even prepared hot baths for those who chose to relent.) As they froze, the exposed soldiers huddled together and began to sing songs and to praise God; in their hour of suffering they expressed overwhelming joy.) One by one, they perished. Sadly, a single solitary man did relent; but astonishingly another soldier who had been observing the spectacle was so moved by what he had seen that he instantly gave his life to Jesus Christ; he removed his clothes and walked out on to the ice to join his dying brothers.

Persecution is a part of genuine faith. Those who oppose God, will oppose those who follow Him. Obedience can produce much suffering. When we suffer for righteousness, we can rejoice and be glad, knowing that we serve the Living God. We must take up our cross; we must speak the truth; we must love without question, and give without stipulation. We must walk by faith and avoid compromise. In so doing, God will strengthen us in the hour of our greatest need; He will comfort us; He will give us victory; and we will inherit the riches of His Eternal Kingdom.

“Lord Heavenly Father, as we undergo trials give us strength and fill us with Your Holy Spirit; that we may rejoice in suffering and persecution. May we always praise Your Name; in good times and in bad. May we never compromise; may we never be conformed to the image of this world. May we live for righteousness and may we die for virtue. Father, we love You, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.” God bless all of you.

“If the world hates you, you will know that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I have spoken to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you” (John 15: 18 – 20.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

Jesus was relentlessly persecuted during his earthly ministry. He was slandered publicly and privately. He was shunned and ridiculed by many, including several members of his own family. His message was so offensive that he was nearly stoned to death on a number of occasions (one time an angry mob unsuccessfully attempted to throw him from the precipice of a cliff.) Eventually, despite every miraculous feat, and act of immeasurable love, Jesus Christ was abandoned by his closest friends; he was bound, beaten, spit upon, and crucified. Those who willingly choose to follow him can expect to experience similar forms of persecution.

Eleven of the twelve disciples were brutally martyred for their unwavering faith; and the twelfth was imprisoned until his eventual death. Every disciple paid the ultimate price for fearlessly spreading the gospel throughout the known world. Although physical peril is a common type of persecution, it comes in many other forms. One day as I sat studying in a local coffee shop, I began talking with a Muslim friend concerning the tenants of the Christian faith. As I presented her with the gospel, a women sitting next to us became visibly upset. Not knowing that we were already friends, she yelled “Can’t you see she doesn’t want to talk to you about that?” The woman continued verbally harassing me; making every effort to subvert our conversation. I looked across the table at my friend and said, “This is the type of persecution that occurs when you become a believer.” Eventually the woman became so disruptive that we had to end our discussion.

Persecution is an inevitable consequence of genuine faith. Those who have never experienced it are likely keeping their beliefs hidden away; preferring safety and security above obedience to the Lord. Still there are those who boldly spread the gospel message. They make every effort to lead others to God. Such individuals love their fellows and serve one another in sincerity of heart. These bold men and woman can expect to be persecuted. Persecution in any form, although not very pleasant, is a distinct reminder that we are Christ’s disciples; and that we are earnestly following in the footsteps of our teacher, our master, and our friend.

“Lord Heavenly Father, provide us with opportunities to preach the gospel to the lost. May we reach out to those who might choose to become our eternal brothers and sisters. Strengthen us when we encounter persecution, so we can stand firm in our faith. Give us the courage to boldly speak the truth that we may continue to emulate Your Son, our savior, Jesus Christ. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.” God bless all of you.

“If the world hates you, you will know that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I have spoken to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you” (John 15: 18 – 20.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

Jesus was persecuted relentlessly during his earthly ministry. He was slandered publicly and privately. He was shunned by many, and ridiculed, even by members of his own family. His message was so offensive that he was nearly stoned to death on a number of occasions. Eventually, despite his miraculous feats, and his immeasurable love, Jesus Christ was abandoned by his closest friends; he was bound and beaten; spit upon and crucified. Those who choose to follow him can expect to experience similar forms of persecution.

Eleven of the twelve disciples were brutally martyred for their unwavering faith (the twelfth was imprisoned until his eventual death.) Each disciple paid the ultimate price for fearlessly spreading the gospel throughout the known world. Although physical peril is a common type of persecution, it comes in many other forms. One day as I sat studying in the local coffee shop, I began talking with a Muslim friend concerning the tenants of the Christian faith. As I presented her with the gospel, a women sitting next to us became visibly upset. Not knowing that we were already friends, she yelled “Can’t you see she doesn’t want to talk to you about that?” The woman continued to verbally harass me, making every effort to subvert the conversation. In the midst of the pestering, I looked at my friend and said, “This is the type of persecution that occurs when you become a believer.” Eventually the woman became so disruptive that we had to end our discussion.

Persecution is an inevitable consequence of genuine faith. If we are not experiencing some kind of persecution, then perhaps we are keeping our beliefs hidden away; choosing safety and security above obedience to the Lord. Still there are those who boldly spread the gospel message; making every effort to lead others to God. These individuals can expect to be persecuted. Persecution in any form isn’t very pleasant; yet it is a reminder that we are earnestly following in the footsteps of our teacher, our master, and our friend.

“Lord Heavenly Father, provide us with opportunities to preach the gospel to others. May we reach out to those who might become our brothers and sisters. Strengthen us when we encounter persecution; that we might stand firm in the faith. Give us courage to boldly speak the truth; that we would continue to emulate our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. We love You Father, we praise You, and we thank You; and we ask and pray all of these things, according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.” God bless all of you.